1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to the cleaning of lawn mowers, and more particularly to a novel lawn mower cleaning device, and method of manufacturing the device, that effectively cleans the underside of a lawn mower.
2. Background of the Invention
A major problem with the use of typical lawn mowers is the tendency of cut grass particles, especially when wet, to stick to the underside of the lawn mower. As the user continues to mow the lawn, the grass particles may become compacted on the underside of the lawn mower to such an extent as to obstruct the movement of the cutting blade and greatly reduce the effectiveness of the mower.
To remove the grass from the underside of the lawn mower, the user must necessarily turn off the mower and invert it or at least turn the mower on its side. With the mower suitably positioned, the user would then need to manually remove the grass from the underside of the mower. The risks associated with manually removing the grass are substantial. Not only may the user damage the mower by causing gasoline to leak on the exhaust manifold, but the user may even injure himself on the cutting blade. Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide an automatic cleaning device which allows the user to clean the mower quickly, easily and without risk to the user.
Lawn mower cleaning devices are known. U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,028 issued to Kehler discloses a platform dimensioned to allow a lawn mower to be positioned thereon. The platform has a tubular member located centrally therein and has a number of water jets extending therefrom. While Kehler solved some of the problems of the prior art, namely providing a device to automatically clean the underside of a lawn mower, the device suffers from some substantial drawbacks. Before using the device, it is necessary for the user to first lift the mower and then place it on the platform. Since typical lawn mowers weigh in excess of 40 lbs., this task could be prohibitive for some people. Moreover, the platform contains multiple parts and is expensive to manufacture.
An improved lawn mower cleaning device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,047 issued to Akers. Akers discloses a spraying device for cleaning the blade chamber of a rotary lawn mower. The device has an annular D-shaped conduit having a number of spaced apertures arranged in two annular formations that define a controlled spray pattern that in conjunction with the rotating mower blade, develops a fluid spray that cleans the blade chamber. The spraying device is designed so as to fit underneath the blade chamber. A stake is provided to prevent the spraying device from lifting off the ground and interfering with the cutting blade. Although a substantial improvement over Kehler, Akers has a number of disadvantages. The spraying device consists of a complicated structure and therefore is expensive to manufacture. Moreover, a spike is needed to secure the spraying device to the ground.
Accordingly, it is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an improved lawn mower cleaning device that is compact, light weight, simple to use, and can be used for a variety of different lawn mowers.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a lawn mower cleaning device having a highly effective spray pattern such that portions within the blade chamber that usually get clogged and compacted with grass clippings are cleaned.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved method of manufacturing a mower cleaning device whereby two sheets of plastic are laminated together such that a conduit is formed therebetween suitable for the passage of fluid.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an improved lawn mower cleaning device that can be positioned on top of the ground without the need for attachment to the ground.
In accordance with these and many other objects, I have invented a unique lawn mower cleaning apparatus that solves the problems that others have failed to address.